Shofetim 8:16

16 And he took the zekenim of the Ir, kotz of the midbar and briers, and with them he taught the Anashim of Sukkot.

Shofetim 8:16 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 8:16

And he took the elders of the city
All of them, especially those of them who had been most guilty, and had them to a proper place, where they might be made public examples of:

and thorns of the wilderness, and briers;
which were near at hand, and soon cut up, for which he gave orders to proper persons:

and with them he taught the men of Succoth;
either the inhabitants of the place, as distinct from the elders, whose punishment he taught them to be cautious not to follow such examples, or to behave ill to their superiors; or the princes and elders of the city are meant by the men of it, whom Gideon taught or chastised with thorns and briers; and so it is usual with us for a parent or master to say to his child or servant that has offended, I will "teach" you to do so or so, or to do otherwise, when he threatens to chastise: or "with them he made them to know" ^F26; that is, their sin and the heinousness of it, by the punishment he inflicted on them. Abarbinel thinks the word "know" has the signification of mercy in it, as in ( Exodus 2:25 ) in that he did not punish in general the men of that city, only the elders of it. The Targum is,

``he broke upon them, or by them, the men of Succoth;''

so Jarchi and others; that is, he broke the briers and thorns upon them, scourging them with them; or rather broke and tore their flesh by them: whether they died or no is not certain.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 (edyw) "et cognoscere fecit", Montanus; so some in Vatablus; "notificavit", Piscator.

Shofetim 8:16 In-Context

14 And caught a na’ar of the Anshei Sukkot, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the sarim of Sukkot, and the zekenim thereof, even threescore and seventeen ish.

15 And he came unto the Anshei Sukkot, and said, Hinei, Zevach and Tzalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zevach and Tzalmunna now in thine yad, that we should give lechem unto thy anashim that are exhausted?

16 And he took the zekenim of the Ir, kotz of the midbar and briers, and with them he taught the Anashim of Sukkot.

17 And he pulled down the migdal of Penuel [Peniel], and put to death the Anshei HaIr.

18 Then said he unto Zevach and Tzalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slaughtered at Tavor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one with the bearing of Bnei HaMelech.